Ladybugs Invade East Tennessee Homes

(WBIR) The first freeze of the year means another sign from Mother Nature: the annual ladybugs invasion that creeps across many East Tennessee homes.

“Over 500 (cases), and that includes stinkbug, ladybug and kudzu bugs,” said Adam Weckesser.

In this case, according to many on the WBIR Facebook page: ladybugs have become the biggest nuisance as of late.

Ken Thompson of Madisonville is one of those homeowners.

“The ladybugs come from the north, over here, and it looked a swarm of hornets coming,” said Thompson. “About 12 o’clock noon, they covered the whole side of this house from that side, all the way around.”

Experts said beyond chemicals, there’s really not much you can do to make sure they don’t come back. So you’ll need to play defense, and for Weckesser, the way to remove the ladybugs: “Pantyhose on the inside of a vacuum,” he said. “You suck them in a vacuum and then you throw the pantyhose away, and you can kind of collect them this way because once you get them in the bag, it’s going to stink up.”

These experts warn to make sure the insects don’t get inside by sealing up as many cracks and openings as possible. If they stay between walls for years, residents could develop an allergy.

“It’s still a nuisance,” Thompson said, but is expecting will continue for sometime.

While he does love living close to the outdoors in Madisonville, he said this is too close for comfort.